Photo: Getty
Travis Pastrana

(As seen in USA Today) - This past weekend Travis Pastrana took the top spot at the Olympus Rally race in Washington state earning his second win of the 2010 Rally America National Championship Series.

Pastrana is best known as a freestyle motocross (FMX) phenome, winning his first world title in 1998 at age 14 and accumulating more X Games gold medals than any competitor in history, highlighted by executing the first backflip and double backflip, respectively, on a dirt bike.

Photo: Andrew Snucins
Travis during the Olympus Rally last weekend.

In 2005 Pastrana expanded his horizons from two wheels to four by entering his first full season on the Rally America circuit. Since then he has dominated the series with four straight National Championship titles (2006-2009).

Pastrana compliments his competitive nature with a boy next-door charm and larger than life personality, captured on his hit MTV show Nitro Circus, which chronicles the travels and exploits of his entourage of motocross madmen.

Photo: Rally America
Travis leads the Rally America circuit after his
second win.

His most notorious act gained national attention this past New Year's Eve in California, when he broke the world record for the longest car jump in history, traveling 269 feet across Long Beach Harbor before skillfully touching down on a floating barge.

Photo: Lars Gange/rally.subaru.com/Rally America
Travis and his Co-Driver after winning the Olympus
Rally.

Despite the inherent danger, Pastrana is not reckless. "People always assume you have to be fearless, but those who are truly fearless get hurt too often to be successful. Sometimes it takes years of preparation to take a trick or a stunt from an idea to reality."

The reality is that whatever Pastrana does he aims to be the best. At first people mistake it for luck, says Rallyfix.com editor Bill Lockwood. But Travis has an otherworldly ability to just be better plus, he's so nice you can't really be upset when he beats you at anything.

Pastrana continues his quest to claim his 5th straight Rally America National Championship at the Oregon Trail Rally, May 14 16, in Hood River, OR.

- James Sullivan